On Friday, I signed up for Nanowrimo, on the theory that if you want to get something done by deadline, you assign it to someone who’s already swamped beyond reason. Or something like that.

Regardless, it’s incentive to get Odd Duck done, so I’m doing it.

Here are eight sentences from yesterday’s 2,282 words:

Lowell Rhombeck’s office was not in the warehouse district; it was uptown, in a curved, mirrored oblong of a skyscraper with a crowning rotunda that made it look like the kind of thing a giant flapper might have tucked into her garter. It had a name, but everyone outside of the Historical Society called it the Flask Building.

It was also the fourth tallest and third most expensive chunk of business real estate in the city. The pack corporation was doing well enough to afford taller and shinier, but its CEO didn’t need to show off.

I had nothing to prove, either, so I took the express elevator instead of the stairs.

The woman sitting in the outer office wasn’t the one I was expecting. Instead of a curvy, green-eyed brunette in a smart business suit, there was a streamlined blonde in a streamlined linen dress that matched the amber brown of her eyes.

I didn’t recognize her, but I knew when to cry wolf.

______________________

I took the photo on the Chicago Architectural boat tour I took with a friend (Hi, ‘firstmausi!) this past summer. I honestly don’t remember its real name, but another friend, who works in Chicago (Hi, Lyra!), tells me that it’s not an office building but a residential high rise, full of what I assume are extremely expensive condos.

But I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to put a flask-shaped mirrored building in a detective story, so I appropriated it for my own ends.

I’ll try to visit everyone today, but if I’m a little late, please forgive me. I have a wordmeter to feed!

What an amazing snippet. I love your use of description. And I love the reminder that we all appropriate experiences to include in (or inspire) stories. Thanks for sharing the photo and the story. I’m right there with you in the November word count insanity. Good luck with NaNo!